Bill Cosby’s 2016 Trial: When Will Sexual Assault Case Start — And Will It Air On TV?

Bill Cosby arrived in court and smiled, as seen in the above photo from Wednesday, February 3. However, there’s no telling if the comedian left the courtroom in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in smiles. That’s because a judge decided to allow the preliminary hearing for the sexual assault trial against Cosby to move forward, as reported by Page Six. Cosby held his head in his hands as the decision was made to move forward.

Whether or not Cosby will really go to trial will be determined on or after March 8, when the preliminary hearing decides whether or not Cosby will actually be placed on trial, as reported by USA Today. If it is determined that there is sufficient evidence to place Cosby on trial, the next deciding factor is whether or not Bill’s trial will be televised.

It took two days of hearings for Judge Steven O’Neill to decide that Cosby’s case must move forward — and determine if he’ll stand trial for the sexual assault charges levied against him, despite Cosby’s team’s pleas that he should have some kind of immunity allegedly verbally granted by a previous district attorney, reports the Associated Press. The attorneys for Cosby tried to claim that the case against him is all about making a political play for the new district attorney, Kevin Steele. As such, the 78-year-old may end up standing trial for claims over what Cosby allegedly did to Andrea Constand in 2004.

If it goes to trial — when will the trial featuring Cosby as the star player begin? Will it happen in 2016? Well, a trial date has yet to be set to determine if he is guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand — the Temple University employee that Cosby admitted liking the first day he saw her in the gym. With greater than 50 women coming forward to accuse Cosby of some sort of sexual misconduct, Andrea’s case is the first one to feature the actor and comedian possibly going to trial to answer the accusations.

Therefore, the previous claims that Constand’s case was too weak to prosecute Cosby upon or even go to trial have been nearly proven false thus far, and if his trial makes it to court in 2016, and is televised, it will be the trial of the year. Perhaps the decade. It’s a question asked by Madame Noire, whether or not the Cosby trial should be televised.

http://madamenoire.com/606995/should-the-bill-cosby-trial-be-televised/

Cosby’s trial being televised would be reminiscent of the O. J. Simpson murder trial, even if the case against him doesn’t involve murder. What it does involve is another once-beloved superstar who was held in high esteem in the African-American community especially, and the worldwide community in general, who ended up being revealed as someone knocked off the pedestal the public had placed them upon.

Raven Symoné, co-host of The View, and a one-time actor on the Cosby Show, said that she would watch the Cosby trial if his sexual assault trial were televised. And whenever that sexual assault trial begins, it would be a trial that the public would want to dissect frame by frame, especially if Cosby finally speaks for himself. Previous depositions have featured Cosby’s words showing his interpretation of the events that occurred with Andrea on the night in question.

My Case from '83 remains sealed "Confidential" w the devil's details HIDDEN. Put him in with OJ two PIGS n a blanket https://t.co/zwhJ0TTonq

— Sandi Warner Burk (@sandiburkwarner) February 4, 2016

On Twitter, the response to the news that Cosby will potentially face trial is coming in quickly.

“Finally! A trial or case worthy to see on Tv! Lol Bill Cosby trial! #JusticeChannel“

“Bill Cosby trial gonna be must see TV.”

“I hope they put bill Cosby trial on TV.”

“They need to televise Bill Cosby’s trial like they did the OJ case. I feel like it’s hella interesting.”

[Image courtesy of Mel Evans/AP Photo]